The objective of the National Research Foundation (NRF) is to support and promote research through funding, human resource development and the provision of the necessary research facilities, in order to facilitate the creation of knowledge, innovation and development in all fields of the natural and social sciences, humanities and technology.

The German Design Council was founded as an initiative of the German Federal Parliament in 1953 to meet the growing need of the business world for information about design. Today, the German Design Council is one of the world's leading competence centres for communication and know-how transfer in the design field